In the news today

[Penner]

I don't care if they buy a trillion dollar house or a thousand cars, all material things are fair game but you should not be able to get away with illegal stuff just because you're wealthy and/or famous, but that's the way it's always been and i don't see it changing anytime soon :P

[Animeniax]

As one of the poor people you don't get any say in how rich people are treated.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't care if they buy a trillion dollar house or a thousand cars, all material things are fair game but you should not be able to get away with illegal stuff just because you're wealthy and/or famous, but that's the way it's always been and i don't see it changing anytime soon :P

Regarding this, I always thought the concept of bail is a funny one.

[Penner]

As one of the poor people you don't get any say in how rich people are treated.

While that is true, it's a pretty fucking rude thing to say to someone less fortunate :P

[Sapphire]

Lindsay Lohan's "special treatment" (http://www.thesuperficial.com/lindsays-f-ck-u-could-land-her-in-contempt-of-court-07-2010)

[XanBcoo]

Lindsay Lohan's "special treatment" (http://www.thesuperficial.com/lindsays-f-ck-u-could-land-her-in-contempt-of-court-07-2010)

Unrelated, but one of the comments contains a pet peeve of mine. Misunderstanding "freedom of speech":

I am not a huge fan of Lindsey, but I dont think she should go to jail for her freedom of speech/expression.
"Gettin' repirmanded 'cause I called Obama a n***** at a Tea Party Rally. GUVMINT'S TAKIN MAH FREEDUMS"

[Animeniax]

While that is true, it's a pretty fucking rude thing to say to someone less fortunate :P

Which is yet another of the perks of being rich and famous.... You really should stop trying to tell your betters how to act.

[itadakimasu]

Lindsay Lohan's "special treatment" (http://www.thesuperficial.com/lindsays-f-ck-u-could-land-her-in-contempt-of-court-07-2010)

I don't know what her original charges were... but 90 days in jail is extremely light. They said that the police found cocaine on her when she was arrested and as far as I know, that's a year in jail on it's own at least.

violating probation for a normal person usually means that it's almost like the probation never happened... you get a sentence for the crime you committed. 90 days + rehab is a slap on the wrist.

[depthcharge]

They can get into as much trouble as they like. Just up their tax by 10% each time they get into trouble.

Edit

Policewoman shoots to kill (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsPaqWTLUN4)

[Assassin]

that was very VERY stupid of her....she went in straight and just lunged at him. you can see how he sort of falls back....im assuming he had a knife to the hostage's throat, and its just sheer luck he didnt cut her as he fell backwards. or that she didnt shoot the girl in the face.

[Buffalobiian]

that was very VERY stupid of her....she went in straight and just lunged at him. you can see how he sort of falls back....im assuming he had a knife to the hostage's throat, and its just sheer luck he didnt cut her as he fell backwards. or that she didnt shoot the girl in the face.

I agree. The coke (2nd drink) was also spiked, so if he's falling for it, why not wait another half hour or so?

The video was talking about the woman in an approving manner.

[depthcharge]

I was shocked when I first saw the video. From our point of view, the man and hostage appears to be very close but the policewoman charged and shot, it is likely that when the man tried to pick up the bottle that there is some extra space between them.

Nevertheless, I am assuming that the kill order was given after the case went for a significant amount of time and the hostage had already been stabbed a number of times.

The Policewoman was shooting to kill, that is scary when you see it in video.

edit:
Similarly, if the video included footage of the man stabbing the hostage, I am sure it would have been much more easier to say "Shoot the scum."

[Animeniax]

.im assuming he had a knife to the hostage's throat, Well if you watch the video, you'd notice the perp has an arm around the girl's throat and the knife in his free hand. So it would be a safer assumption that the girl wasn't in danger from being knifed. If you watch even more closely still, you'll notice the officer waited until the perp was distracted and looking down at whatever was on the ground before she made her move.

I thought the extra 3 shots at the end were a bit excessive. But I imagine in over-populated China they'd rather you filled an unmarked grave than a prison cell.

[depthcharge]

But I imagine in over-populated ChinaWorld they'd rather you filled an unmarked graveditch than a prison cell.

There corrected for you.

[Animeniax]

There corrected for you.

Nope. In the west, life is still considered somewhat sacred if you're white. The Chinese are particularly non-chalant about the loss of a life. As Uncle Benny put it so eloquently about the death of a Chinese man in Lethal Weapon 4... "plenty more where he came from."

[depthcharge]

Dont quote me on this. I believe there is about equal number of White, Yellow, Brown, Black and in between. ~1 billion each. If China had not instituted 1 child per family years back, it would have been a lot more.
Anyhow, the World is overpopulated not just any one race.

There are Chinese who are particularly non-chalant, but it is not everyone of them. Chinese recently are challenging for their rights, particularly after those Foxconn suicides.

Scumbags like example, Van der Sloot, would be persecuted where ever he goes. I doubt many people would cry foul if he is destroyed in the Peruvian jail.

[Animeniax]

Unfortunately the little newborn girls that get thrown away at birthing clinics in China don't get to challenge for their rights.

Also, it's a race between the Chinese and the red dot Indians to overpopulate the world.

[Sapphire]

Holographic girlfriend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2jzB-M5yTo&feature=player_embedded#!) in our midst?

[Assassin]

i'd hit it

[Pandadice]

Germany's Love Parade turns into tragedy, 19 killed (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-07/25/c_13414609.htm)

[depthcharge]

Love or loveless, 1.4million participant is heck lot of people.

The tunnel or mouth of the tunnel that was the scene of the stampede should not have been saturated. Next time I see a situation like this, I would not enter the tunnel or even go near it.

[Sapphire]

The Facebook Data Torrent Debacle (http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20100729/tc_pcworld/thefacebookdatatorrentdebacleqa)

It seems that some guy got the names and FB URLs (and maybe some other information) from 1/3 of the users on Facebook and made a torrent out of it.

[Penner]

Drew Carey lost 80 pounds!

So weird, he looks like a totally different person :P

http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/images/2010/07/drew-carey.jpg

[Animeniax]

It looks like he's still wearing the same clothes from his previous size. You'd think someone with his fame and fortune would buy new clothes. And why do people make such drastic changes to their bodies/selves? Marie Osmond did the same thing, and they both look terrible, almost as bad as their chunky selves. What's wrong with a nice middle point??

[XanBcoo]

Drew Carey + Cancer = David Letterman

[Death BOO Z]

it might just be a really old picture, from the time he was much younger, but he looks so much better 'fat' than his new thin image.

he's a cross between a zombie and a grandpa.

[The Heretic Azazel]

Laurence Fishburne's 19-year-old daughter to star in porn film (http://www.popeater.com/2010/07/30/laurence-fishburne-19-year-old-daughter-to-star-in-porn-film/)

I love whores.

[Animeniax]

Laurence Fishburne's 19-year-old daughter to star in porn film (http://www.popeater.com/2010/07/30/laurence-fishburne-19-year-old-daughter-to-star-in-porn-film/)

I love whores.

Saw this on tv today. It's sad, she cites Kim Kardashian's rise to fame by releasing a sex tape as a motivation and role model for her foray into porn to get famous. It would seem Morpheus is a shitty parent, spends too much time in the Matrix.

[The Heretic Azazel]

What she doesn't seem to realize is that Kim was famous before she made a sex tape. You have to do it in that order or it doesn't work.

[The Heretic Azazel]

No more World Sauna Championships - Russian man dies in sauna (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_finland_sauna_contest_death)

[Kraco]

I don't see Formula 1 being cancelled for good after drivers died (and more than one have kicked the bucket). During World Rally Championships even audience members have been killed. Yet they are still as strong as ever.

I guess as long as there's big money and business involved, a death is just an unfortunate accident, otherwise it's a catastrophe.

[XanBcoo]

I saw this on the news earlier but wasn't paying attention until I saw it again on the Colbert Report: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/08/09/2010-08-09_talk_about_turbulance_jetblue_flight_attendant_ drops_intercom_fbomb_bolts_down_e.html

Male flight attendant of 28 years finally gets tired of moronic customers, swears at a woman over the intercom, grabs some beers, slides down the emergency chute, and drives home to have sex with his boyfriend.

A goddamn American hero.

[Death BOO Z]

A jetBlue co-worker who was on the flight called Slater a working-class hero.

"It's something we all fantasize about," she said. "But we have kids and a mortgage or are just too chicken - or sane - to go through with [it]."


yeah, screw the two weeks notice. that's quitting with style.

[shinta|hikari]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100823/ap_on_re_as/as_philippines_bus_hostages

http://www.chinasmack.com/2010/pictures/filipinos-taking-photos-at-manila-hostage-scene-chinese-netizen-reactions.html

I didn't know whether I want to laugh or cry when I saw the people taking pictures.

[Buffalobiian]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100823/ap_on_re_as/as_philippines_bus_hostages

http://www.chinasmack.com/2010/pictures/filipinos-taking-photos-at-manila-hostage-scene-chinese-netizen-reactions.html

I didn't know whether I want to laugh or cry when I saw the people taking pictures.

The Hong Kong media's all over this at the moment, mainly focusing on how badly the situation was handled by the police.

[shinta|hikari]

I have to agree, having been able to see it live. It was absolutely horrible. They missed numerous chances to detain or kill the hostage taker.

The most hilarious part was when they used a tear gas grenade but didn't have gas masks. Having realized this mistake, they borrowed a surgical mask from the medical team on stand by. <sweat drop>

[Illrenmazou]

They missed numerous chances to detain or kill the hostage taker.

The Commission of Human Rights will be bawwing if they did that. Plus, SOP dictates that you do not terminate the hostage taker unless he became a threat. He's still wasn't a threat when they had clear shots.


The most hilarious part was when they used a tear gas grenade but didn't have gas masks. Having realized this mistake, they borrowed a surgical mask from the medical team on stand by.

Government too broke due to corruption. Heh, what's new?


http://www.chinasmack.com/2010/pictu...reactions.html

Another fine reason not to reveal you're a failipino in the net. Oh wait, too late.

[Ryllharu]

The BBC News had a pretty good breakdown on everything they did wrong, most of it due to inadequate training and experience in this sort of situation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11069616

[Cal_kashi]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599201433200

"These are remarkable statistics. Even though heavy drinking is associated with higher risk for cirrhosis and several types of cancer (particularly cancers in the mouth and esophagus), heavy drinkers are less likely to die than people who have never drunk."

XD
I'm gonna live forever.

[Animeniax]

Probably already been posted, but if you're a student (or have access to an @edu email address), you can get free Amazon Prime membership for a year which gives free 2-day shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/student/signup/info

[The Heretic Azazel]

So my humble little town was the subject of an O'Reilly segment on Fox News. This guy calls a cop making an arrest on the other side of the street a Nazi, and the cops, instead of letting it go, go up to the man and start asking for his I.D. This is a prime example of how law enforcement operates in my part of the state.

O'Reilly segment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgtm2Qz9ALc)

And the original video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUOsq_45SnQ

He starts his antics around 5:55, after a male officer illegally searches a female suspect. The cops know they don't have shit on him but threaten to bring code enforcement to his house because his grass is too high.. WTF??

[Pandadice]

So my humble little town was the subject of an O'Reilly segment on Fox News. This guy calls a cop making an arrest on the other side of the street a Nazi, and the cops, instead of letting it go, go up to the man and start asking for his I.D. This is a prime example of how law enforcement operates in my part of the state.

O'Reilly segment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgtm2Qz9ALc)

And the original video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUOsq_45SnQ

He starts his antics around 5:55, after a male officer illegally searches a female suspect. The cops know they don't have shit on him but threaten to bring code enforcement to his house because his grass is too high.. WTF??

It's illegal not to have an ID on your own property?? O_O

[Dark Dragon]

The cop was giving the guy shit because the guy was insulting him. Well damn, i'm shocked.

Sure, there are a lot of corrupted cops out there. Insulting one at random however is pretty damn stupid. If you think he's abusing his power, of course he's going to pull some shit to arrest you.

Seriously, the guy who filmed that video was just acting like a smart ass cause he hate cops. If you really think there is a problem, there are plenty of way to go about changing it without making yourself looks like a jackass. If he thought what the cops was doing is wrong, he should have just filmed the video and leaked it to a local news channel or newspaper. There are plenty of news media out there that are more than happy to report a story like that.

[Death BOO Z]

fox news guys and girls live up to their name. they're horrible.

the cops have nothing at him, he's only an ignorant person who can't keep his mouth shut.

[XanBcoo]

Seriously, the guy who filmed that video was just acting like a smart ass cause he hate cops. If you really think there is a problem, there are plenty of way to go about changing it without making yourself looks like a jackass. If he thought what the cops was doing is wrong, he should have just filmed the video and leaked it to a local news channel or newspaper. There are plenty of news media out there that are more than happy to report a story like that.
Yeah, this.

Hate to say it, but I agree with Papa Bear.

[The Heretic Azazel]

Of course he was acting like a jackass, but that's his right as an American. The only way he can be arrested for only saying words is if he threatened someone. And he didn't. Law enforcement aren't supposed to go on someone's personal property and ask for their I.D. when the person wasn't doing anything illegal.

Regardless of how people act, cops are supposed to be held to a higher standard. If they weren't, we would have some serious problems.

[Dark Dragon]

Of course he was acting like a jackass, but that's his right as an American. The only way he can be arrested for only saying words is if he threatened someone. And he didn't. Law enforcement aren't supposed to go on someone's personal property and ask for their I.D. when the person wasn't doing anything illegal.

Regardless of how people act, cops are supposed to be held to a higher standard. If they weren't, we would have some serious problems.

Those cops clearly do not hold themselves to a higher standard.

I'm not debating the right or wrong of the situation. I'm just saying that he should have gone about it in another more effective way. Compares the 2 potential headlines.

"Man arrested after calling police Nazis" or "Concerned citizen took footage of police making illegal searches"

The focus of the real situation is now himself being arrested after insulting the cops rather than the illegal searches. When you want to change something and especially when it's political in nature, it's very helpful to have the public on your side. Right now, the result is him getting arrested and a bunch of idiots arguing on youtube. If he had submitted a story instead, it's very possible that those cops could've been fired if enough people get angry about the situation.

[The Heretic Azazel]

But if he didn't provoke them he wouldn't have proof that they arrest without just cause. The threat of code enforcement shows me they were going to do anything possible to make an example of the guy, whether it was legal or not.

From what I've heard the charges were dropped anyway and rightfully so.

You really don't know how hard it is for me to defend this asshole. The heinous crime the woman on O'Reilly's show referred to happened in 2003 when this guy (Matt Harden) and his friend beat a dog to death and grilled and ate him. Supposedly Harden's only involvement was that it happened at his house, but I have heard it was more than that.

[Carnage]

Fuck the POlice.

[Animeniax]

Wow, what a cowardly douchebag. He's talking tough until the police decide to call him out on it, then he runs like a bitch. He got what he deserved, especially after the news about his prior animal cruelty arrest. Then they showed us his picture and there's no denying the guy is a douchebag.

[Ryllharu]

True Hero (http://www.theprovince.com/news/final+only+thing+that+would+save/3487150/story.html): Man swerves car taking the full force of a collision to save his wife and unborn child.

[Pandadice]

True Hero (http://www.theprovince.com/news/final+only+thing+that+would+save/3487150/story.html): Man swerves car taking the full force of a collision to save his wife and unborn child.


the driver tried to take her sweater off while driving, asking the other front passenger to take the wheel at the time.

wow that pisses me off.. dude died because some chick decided to take her sweater off while driving.. I can't even wrap my head around the idiocy of the driver of the Chevy Blazer. Now dude's baby is gonna be raised without a dad (well, unless she remarries of course).


that story was a major downer.. now i'm sad :(

[XanBcoo]

DADT overturned (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/09/09/us/AP-US-Gays-in-Military.html?_r=2&hp)

Goddamn fucking finally.

Hey rest of the world. It's us, America. Will you let us inside now? We're decent human beings now, I promise.

[Assertn]

what about the DADT policy on irc.gotwoot.net?

[darkshadow]

True Hero (http://www.theprovince.com/news/final+only+thing+that+would+save/3487150/story.html): Man swerves car taking the full force of a collision to save his wife and unborn child.

Yeah that was reported on kotaku awhile ago, but to be honest, I really don't think he swerved to save his wife, I believe him swerving was a simple survival instinct, trying not to die himself.

But yeah at least his wife and their child survived.

[Animeniax]

what about the DADT policy on irc.gotwoot.net?

I prefer to live by the creedo: "you don' know, you betta axe somebody."

[Animeniax]

We had another crazed gunman on campus at UT Austin today. Turns out it was a 19 year old math major with an AK-47. He didn't kill anyone except himself, but they closed the university all day because of the investigation. We had SWAT on campus with their armored APC style vehicles, a helicopter, and the requisite news crews. I was on campus when they locked the area down, but it was more a social event than a tense standoff. Students were standing around taking pictures and chatting near the blockade points. My word, UT has some fine b*tches in the kinesiology department. I was coming from a PE class and got holed up with some of these girls. Yowza! What a morning.

[Kraco]

Sounds like an exceedingly civilized crazy gunman if the only person he killed was himself. Most of the publicity seeking ones first slaughter total outsiders and then take the easy way out. The world would be a better place if they all were like your math major.

[Buffalobiian]

Even more amazing is that he performed all of one killing with an AK47..

Maybe he only had one bullet.

[XanBcoo]

No, he was firing indiscriminately but apparently not actually aiming for anyone.

News story: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2010/09/28/police_on_scene_of_shooting_on.html

[Animeniax]

No, he was firing indiscriminately but apparently not actually aiming for anyone.

News story: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2010/09/28/police_on_scene_of_shooting_on.html

Yes apparently he meant no harm to anyone and just wanted to be left alone to roam the campus with his assault rifle, but the SWAT team just wouldn't let him. You have to wonder what he planned to do with an AK-47 at 8AM on a Tuesday morning. It is around that time for the first wave of midterm exams (they call them midterms even though there's 3 of them during a semester).

At least this latest incident will help bring the issue of allowing concealed carry on campus back to the forefront. It was up for a vote in the last state legislative session, but the Dems effectively tabled it and some other pending legislation with a filibuster to stop voter ID or some such.

[Kraco]

Yeah, well, but if this dude intended to kill nobody but himself, then it was better there weren't any self-appointed heroes trying to stop him. Some guy with a pea shooter trying to stop a guy with an AK47 might have resulted in unnecessary casualties in this particular case.

[XanBcoo]

At least this latest incident will help bring the issue of allowing concealed carry on campus back to the forefront. It was up for a vote in the last state legislative session, but the Dems effectively tabled it and some other pending legislation with a filibuster to stop voter ID or some such.

No

Just no

[Animeniax]

No

Just no

Weird, my criminal justice sociology professor agrees with you. We had a fun discussion in class where a lot of uninformed people gave the usual defenses against it. I think too many people think it'll be cowboys and indians if you allow concealed carry on campuses. It's strange since concealed carry is allowed in so many places and we haven't achieved anarchy and all out warfare in those locations.

[XanBcoo]

Minimizing risks and variables is not achieved by increasing them.

It's especially inane to imply that things could have gone better in this case since the result was the 2nd best case scenario (1st being the guy not offing himself). By all eyewitness reports he was not out to harm anyone.

Keep the guns if you want, but don't try to argue that it would make things any safer.

[Animeniax]

No I wouldn't argue it would make anyone safer beyond myself (or whoever is the licensed carrier is). It also wouldn't make things any less safe, which is what opponents are arguing.

I agree most likely nothing would have changed in the particular case of the math major with the AK. Bu relying on eye witness reports doesn't tell the whole story. According to those reports, he did fire indiscriminately as he ran which definitely made for a hazardous situation. Also, one buddy's gf's friend's car got impounded by the police as evidence because a round hit the car. Not exactly victim-free.

[Uchiha Barles]

I'd like to think that if people were to go through a sufficiently rigorous process to be allowed to carry concealed firearms, that things would be safer, for everyone. Your big bad bravodo idiots in today's society might not be such idiots if they realized that there's a high chance that he'll be shot should he start trouble with someone, even if he's carrying a gun. Think mutually assured destruction. People would have SUCH manners...

[The Heretic Azazel]

Minimizing risks and variables is not achieved by increasing them.

It's especially inane to imply that things could have gone better in this case since the result was the 2nd best case scenario (1st being the guy not offing himself). By all eyewitness reports he was not out to harm anyone.

Keep the guns if you want, but don't try to argue that it would make things any safer.

Sounds like the best case scenario to me, now taxpayers don't have to fund the incarceration of a lunatic.

Allowing concealed carries (and having a competent crisis response team) would have made the Columbine tragedy turn out a lot better than it did.

[Animeniax]

I'd like to think that if people were to go through a sufficiently rigorous process to be allowed to carry concealed firearms, that things would be safer, for everyone. Your big bad bravodo idiots in today's society might not be such idiots if they realized that there's a high chance that he'll be shot should he start trouble with someone, even if he's carrying a gun. Think mutually assured destruction. People would have SUCH manners...

One problem is that in states like Texas, it's not a rigorous process to get your CHL. But rigor is a relative measurement anyway.

[The Heretic Azazel]

Pay to Spray Firefighters Watch A House Burn Down (http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/248649/pay-spray-firefighters-watch-home-burns-daniel-foster)

[Animeniax]

Pay to Spray Firefighters Watch A House Burn Down (http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/248649/pay-spray-firefighters-watch-home-burns-daniel-foster)

He should have paid the fee. What are the odds he doesn't have home-owners insurance?

[darkshadow]

Lol protection money? ;P

[Buffalobiian]

Lol protection money? ;P

Except they don't START a fire if you don't pay up ;P

[Carnage]

Wow what a bunch of douchebags. Proud to be an American.

[Ryllharu]

There are people seriously defending this guy? The headline should read:
"Man tries to cheat the system, gets what he deserves"

The fire department is legally obligated to save human lives even if they don't pay the $75. They've said that repeatedly. After that, they're not going to risk their lives beyond that unless the service has been paid for, through the common fund. The guy tried to offer them whatever it would take to save his house after the fact. But the fire department isn't going to do that because then no one would ever pay the $75. Estimated cost for putting his house out would have been around $11,000. How many people would pay that after the fact? The fire department isn't a collection agency.

I have zero sympathy for someone who tried to gamble and lost, then tries to backpedal as soon as he needs it. It's like a person driving around without auto insurance, then getting into an accident and demanding that a company pay for the totaled car, medical bills, and property damage by paying a single month's premium.

The worst part of this is the dumbass is getting a great deal of support from other idiots, monetarily or otherwise. I bet the federal government will even reach out to help his stupid ass.

[Assertn]

Lol protection money? ;P
It's called insurance.

Yeah, the guy sounds like a mooch, "I just figured they'd help me even if I didn't pay the fee." What's with people and their false sense of entitlement?

[UChessmaster]

That guy got what he deserved, i feel bad for the rest of the family though.

75$ for fire "insurance"? monthly? is it like that in all of US?


Estimated cost for putting his house out would have been around $11,000.

11k for putting the house out? what do they throw at it!?

[Assertn]

That guy got what he deserved, i feel bad for the rest of the family though.

75$ for fire "insurance"? monthly? is it like that in all of US?
No. I had no idea any place in the US had privatized fire safey, or whatever you'd call that. Also where does it say $75 per month?


11k for putting the house out? what do they throw at it!?
That's like saying "$650 for an ambulance ride? What do they fuel it with?"

[Ryllharu]

75$ for fire "insurance"? monthly? is it like that in all of US?
No. I had no idea any place in the US had privatized fire safey, or whatever you'd call that. Also where does it say $75 per month?
No, this is a rare case. Most towns and other rural areas pay taxes (typically property tax), part of those taxes go to fund either volunteer fire departments, or full fire departments. This area of Tennessee voted repeatedly to not have taxes fund a fire dept for over 20 years. They instead pay $75 annually (way lower than my property taxes :/ ) for another municipality's fire dept to put out fires when they occur, and also to cover the emergency rescue of any people.

The US used to have private fire companies. However, at that time, the leading cause of fires was arson...committed by fire companies.


11k for putting the house out? what do they throw at it!?I've seen a few itemized estimates. Something like (shamelessly pulled from another site):


- 8 firefighters, billed at $200/hour for the duration. If it takes 3 hours of work, that's $4800.
- $5000 for use of the truck.
- $1000 for the water.
- $500 for the call to dispatch.

Grand total: $11,300

[UChessmaster]

Oh, i understand, i thought it was a bit much cause i burned my house once when i was 8, they charged us like... 150 US$


Also where does it say $75 per month?

I sort of assumed that, refusing to pay a one time 75 payment for fire insurance would be kinda dumb, but not paying 75 a month makes a tiny bit more sense, with the economy and all. He should`ve payed the 75 per year...

[DeathscytheVII]

Shouldn't they put out the fire, then charge the guy the $11,000? Sure the guy tried to cheat the system, but firefighters should still stop the fire because it is a hazard to the neighbourhood, plus the potential for people being trapped inside. A person's life is not worth less than a $75 monthly fee.

I liken this scenario to a hiker getting lost in the wilderness. They call for a rescue chopper. The chopper has to get them since they are in the business of saving lives, but the hiker is billed for the rescue for being a dumb ass.

[UChessmaster]

If they put out the fire, then other people would ask for the same treatment, thus rendering the whole system useless, when the fire spreaded to a neighboors house then they took action (neighboor payed his tax), there was no one at the house, from what i understand, they have the obligation to save a persons life even if they didn`t payed the 75$.

Which begs the question, what if they refuse to put down a fire and the owner decides to jump into the fire filled house?

[Carnage]

there was no one at the house, from what i understand


I believe there were 3 puppies inside, if I'm not mistaken



If they put out the fire, then other people would ask for the same treatment, thus rendering the whole system useless,

Not if, as Deathscythe said, the guy paid $11,000 for them to save him. The people would really take the lesson as to rather just pay the $75 up front.

[Uchiha Barles]

Shouldn't they put out the fire, then charge the guy the $11,000? Sure the guy tried to cheat the system, but firefighters should still stop the fire because it is a hazard to the neighbourhood, plus the potential for people being trapped inside. A person's life is not worth less than a $75 monthly fee.

I liken this scenario to a hiker getting lost in the wilderness. They call for a rescue chopper. The chopper has to get them since they are in the business of saving lives, but the hiker is billed for the rescue for being a dumb ass.

There's one important similarity between this and the hiker scenario. You have to opt in to both services. When you go hiking, there are a few forms and wavers you're supposed to fill out letting the authorities know you're in the woods, how long you're going to be there, what trails you're planning to take, etc. There are also a few lines on those forms telling you the consequences of needing to be rescued, assuming you avoid death. If no one knows you're in the woods, you can't quite be rescued should you need it.

I'm with the firefighters on this. It is absolutely infuriating when people willingly ignore the importance of things, and behave as if there are no consequences for doing so. As a society, we're desperately in need of a sense of logic and accountability. Do A), and B) will happen. You deserve it. Do not do A), and B) will not happen. You deserve it. I understand how people may feel about human life and its importance, but I also see how the lack of these senses negatively impact human life.

[Animeniax]

Shouldn't they put out the fire, then charge the guy the $11,000? Sure the guy tried to cheat the system, but firefighters should still stop the fire because it is a hazard to the neighbourhood, plus the potential for people being trapped inside. A person's life is not worth less than a $75 monthly fee.

I liken this scenario to a hiker getting lost in the wilderness. They call for a rescue chopper. The chopper has to get them since they are in the business of saving lives, but the hiker is billed for the rescue for being a dumb ass.

It's a rural area so the neighborhood probably consists of 5 houses in a square mile.

Search and rescue is different from other public utilities. S&R deals with life-threatening situations. Fire departments are called out for all kinds of menial tasks (like getting a cat out of a tree). If there is no loss of life involved, then it's a paid service, so if you don't pay, you don't get served. This is particularly so for rural areas outside of municipal jurisdictions.

[Ryllharu]

Shouldn't they put out the fire, then charge the guy the $11,000? Sure the guy tried to cheat the system, but firefighters should still stop the fire because it is a hazard to the neighbourhood, plus the potential for people being trapped inside. A person's life is not worth less than a $75 monthly fee.The fire department is legally obligated to protect human lives. They are not legally obligated to save property or pets, which is what happened.
Not if, as Deathscythe said, the guy paid $11,000 for them to save him. The people would really take the lesson as to rather just pay the $75 up front.
No, they wouldn't take the lesson to heart. It's simple, most people just wouldn't pay that either. Once their house is safe, what do they care? Default on the payment, declare bankruptcy, whatever. Fire Departments can't afford the time and additional money it would take to get them to actually pay up.

The only way you could incorporate that kind of solution is to have the fire dept put a lien on the house, and that's not much of a solution either. The fire department doesn't want to end up owning a half-dozen half-burnt homes.

Not all national parks charge to helicopter rides either, so that is sort of a poor analogy. That recently became an news issue too, when one group of unprepared yuppies called the park service three times, twice because they got themselves lost, and a third time because they freaked out when their water tasted a little salty. Like the firefighters, they can't take the risk of NOT responding in order to save lives. They take stupid risks, but the rescue services can't afford not to. In this fire fighting instance, they could afford not to take any further risk, no additional human beings were inside the house.

[Kraco]

I find it a bit strange that if a rotten tree falls on you and you break a leg, the emergency service would award you with a 5000 dollars bill for saving you (doing their job). I do understand that finding some punks who simply set out ill prepared and think they got lost would be another matter.

[Assertn]

The 11000 would be a decent fine to someone who was negligent, but I'm sure in the grand scheme of things the fire department would be far less funded if they only made 11,000 for each fire they put out, rather than 75 per year per household under their supervision.

[Animeniax]

The 11000 would be a decent fine to someone who was negligent, but I'm sure in the grand scheme of things the fire department would be far less funded if they only made 11,000 for each fire they put out, rather than 75 per year per household under their supervision.

I think the $75 per family is only for the rural families outside the normal service area, and that's a small number of customers relative to the thousands they service in the city who pay for services through taxes.

[Carnage]

and that's a small number of customers relative to the thousands they service in the city who pay for services through taxes.

So in the end it wouldnt make a big difference if they had just allowed the guy to pay the $11,000 fee since there really doesnt need to be a message sent, SINCE they get most of their money through taxes.

[Ryllharu]

So in the end it wouldnt make a big difference if they had just allowed the guy to pay the $11,000 fee since there really doesnt need to be a message sent, SINCE they get most of their money through taxes.
Taxes from their home municipality. The house that burnt down does not reside in the town where the fire department is funded by taxes. That's the whole idea behind the annual fee.

Financially disadvantaged family hasn't been paying the annual $75. House catches on fire, fire department comes, bills them for $11,000. They don't pay it, or simply can't afford it. Suddenly the fire dept is doing work unfunded. Others follow suit, do the same thing. If the fire dept can't collect, they're working unfunded. I fail to see why this is hard to understand.

Fire dept runs out of funds working in a different town that refuses to fund them through taxes of their own. Which the fee essential is, it is an opt-in tax.

Option A: Increase taxes on their home municipality, now one town is funding the rural one, who gets services for free.
Option B: Stop ever coming to rural area, houses burn to the ground, people die.
Option C: Close fire dept, both towns' houses burn to the ground, people die.

The answer is going to be Option B.

Conclusion: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Either pay the fee, or vote for a new fire house (volunteer likely) funded by taxes.

[Marik]

Hotelier leaves home for a week so it can be decorated . . . then 15 jobless Italian squatters move in (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322246/Man-leaves-home-week-decorated-15-squatters-in.html)

And the police can't do anything to stop them.

[Splash!]

Taxes from their home municipality. The house that burnt down does not reside in the town where the fire department is funded by taxes. That's the whole idea behind the annual fee.

Financially disadvantaged family hasn't been paying the annual $75. House catches on fire, fire department comes, bills them for $11,000. They don't pay it, or simply can't afford it. Suddenly the fire dept is doing work unfunded. Others follow suit, do the same thing. If the fire dept can't collect, they're working unfunded. I fail to see why this is hard to understand.

Fire dept runs out of funds working in a different town that refuses to fund them through taxes of their own. Which the fee essential is, it is an opt-in tax.

Option A: Increase taxes on their home municipality, now one town is funding the rural one, who gets services for free.
Option B: Stop ever coming to rural area, houses burn to the ground, people die.
Option C: Close fire dept, both towns' houses burn to the ground, people die.

The answer is going to be Option B.

Conclusion: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Either pay the fee, or vote for a new fire house (volunteer likely) funded by taxes.

No, option B pretty asinine. We are talking about someone's house burning down here, which is an emergency service. You should put out the fire first and ask questions later, even if the person whose property you are saving is a dick. If you are worried about the "message it would send to other people", then also consider the message being sent out when the fire authorities just sit by and do nothing as someone's house burns down (even if it is within their means). It creates a lack of trust.

If people not paying is resulting in serious underfunding as you say, then there are better ways to resolve the problem. Maybe some sort of contractual mechanism whereby, if you have not been making your payments, and request a fire to be put out, any property saved can be used as collateral if the the service is not paid for after the fact. Of course, there might be other loose ends to tie in this scenario, but still, a complicated situation like this demands a slightly more refined solution, not just "no money, burn in hell". Option B is screwing over people that actually might have a change of heart after having their house saved and decide to pay (especially if their house is worth more than $11,000).

Yes, there should be serious repercussions for those who refuse to pay after having their house saved. Maybe more effort should be spent on accountability, rather than resorting to oversimplified and selfish solutions because lack of accountability is assumed to be a general and immutable fact.

[fahoumh]

Hotelier leaves home for a week so it can be decorated . . . then 15 jobless Italian squatters move in (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322246/Man-leaves-home-week-decorated-15-squatters-in.html)

And the police can't do anything to stop them.

That is totally fucked. I would burn the house down if I were the owner....with the squatters in there, preferably. Just because you have no money doesn't give you the right to take the property of someone else.

[Ryllharu]

No, option B pretty asinine. We are talking about someone's house burning down here, which is an emergency service. You should put out the fire first and ask questions later, even if the person whose property you are saving is a dick. If you are worried about the "message it would send to other people", then also consider the message being sent out when the fire authorities just sit by and do nothing as someone's house burns down (even if it is within their means). It creates a lack of trust.

If people not paying is resulting in serious underfunding as you say, then there are better ways to resolve the problem. Maybe some sort of contractual mechanism whereby, if you have not been making your payments, and request a fire to be put out, any property saved can be used as collateral if the the service is not paid for after the fact. Of course, there might be other loose ends to tie in this scenario, but still, a complicated situation like this demands a slightly more refined solution, not just "no money, burn in hell". Option B is screwing over people that actually might have a change of heart after having their house saved and decide to pay (especially if their house is worth more than $11,000).

Yes, there should be serious repercussions for those who refuse to pay after having their house saved. Maybe more effort should be spent on accountability, rather than resorting to oversimplified and selfish solutions because lack of accountability is assumed to be a general and immutable fact.
You're not understanding the situation. First and foremost, regardless of the fee, they are obligated to save human lives...and that is where their job ends if they haven't been paying the fee. People saved? House can burn down. The property is never a priority. Only lives. Property protection costs money and comes with an increased risk, one that the city cannot afford if they aren't being funded, which the rural area is paying for only on a case-by-case basis.

This is like Toronto's fire department putting out fires in all of Ontario or New York City putting out fires in all of upstate NY. They are in no way obligated to provide service to this rural municipality, they do it as a favor, for a small annual fee that covers the costs in a premiums/incident style, similar to auto-insurance or life-insurance (or Health Care in the US).

The fire department must never get involved in debt collection. That isn't their job, they have better things to do (using all their funds to save lives), so an after-the-fact "business model" can not exist. Not to mention the historical repercussions of a suddenly "private" fire house now functionally saving houses and lives as part of a services-rendered model. The last time the US had that, we had a whole lot more fireman-arsonists.

People were not paying in the rural area because they are fucking cheap. They voted AGAINST a fire dept in their own municipality for the last decade or more. This man helped to create this problem, he chose to not pay the fee, their lives were saved, and his house burned. There's no room for a change of heart just because the fate you gambled against occurred. That man CHOSE to keep his money, and only relented when he suddenly needed the service he believed he never needed.

It's called owning up to the decisions you willingly made. "You made the bed, now sleep in it."


It's this kind of behavior that got us into the current economic crisis and subsequent bailouts. When there is no downside to taking a risk because someone will always cover everything in case the gamble goes poorly, everyone will take the risk to excess because there is literally nothing to lose. Seriously...fuck that. It's called taking responsibility, and part of being an adult member of society.

[Carnage]

You're not understanding the situation. First and foremost, regardless of the fee, they are obligated to save human lives...and that is where their job ends if they haven't been paying the fee. People saved? House can burn down. The property is never a priority. Only lives.

There were pets in the house.

[Ryllharu]

Pets are not humans. Cruel as it is, that's the way things are. Humans are considered "essential" lives, animals are not.

No firefighter (possibly with a family of his/her own to provide for) should risk their life for a household pet.

[Carnage]

Pets are not humans. Cruel as it is, that's the way things are. Humans are considered "essential" lives, animals are not.

No firefighter (possibly with a family of his/her own to provide for) should risk their life for a household pet.

Wooooow.

[Splash!]

The fire department must never get involved in debt collection. That isn't their job, they have better things to do (using all their funds to save lives), so an after-the-fact "business model" can not exist.


They shouldn't be ones worrying about debt collection, but someone ought to put laws in place so that firemen can put out a fire whenever they want to without having to check up on whose been paying the bills. By that I mean, if they put out a fire in such a situation, then the person is seriously liable for covering their costs.



It's called owning up to the decisions you willingly made. "You made the bed, now sleep in it."

It's this kind of behavior that got us into the current economic crisis and subsequent bailouts. When there is no downside to taking a risk because someone will always cover everything in case the gamble goes poorly, everyone will take the risk to excess because there is literally nothing to lose. Seriously...fuck that. It's called taking responsibility, and part of being an adult member of society.

I KNOW, thats why I am saying... If there was a concept of economic accountability and "DEBT=bad", this really wouldn't be much of an issue.

A person who doesn't pay a monthly premium should be able to ask for one time help to put out a fire and it is perfectly acceptable so long as that person covers the cost later. The real problem is that they should not be allowed default on something they are liable for. You are just venting on the wrong issue.

Dont compare the bailout to this. A fire is still a freak accident. I would fully support bailing out critical companies if they failed by some 'freak accident'. That really wasn't the case. The whole bailout situation is actually tantamount to someone playing with fireworks everyday and setting their house on fire, having the firemen put it out, and then not covering their costs later.

[XanBcoo]

They shouldn't be ones worrying about debt collection, but someone ought to put laws in place so that firemen can put out a fire whenever they want to without having to check up on whose been paying the bills. By that I mean, if they put out a fire in such a situation, then the person is seriously liable for covering their costs.

He's already addressed this point. I don't think you're fully understanding the issue.

People were not paying in the rural area because they are fucking cheap. They voted AGAINST a fire dept in their own municipality for the last decade or more. This man helped to create this problem, he chose to not pay the fee, their lives were saved, and his house burned. There's no room for a change of heart just because the fate you gambled against occurred. That man CHOSE to keep his money, and only relented when he suddenly needed the service he believed he never needed.

[Splash!]

People were not paying in the rural area because they are fucking cheap. They voted AGAINST a fire dept in their own municipality for the last decade or more. This man helped to create this problem, he chose to not pay the fee, their lives were saved, and his house burned. There's no room for a change of heart just because the fate you gambled against occurred. That man CHOSE to keep his money, and only relented when he suddenly needed the service he believed he never needed

Yes, and the consequence of that should be that they are forced to pay through the nose for the one time fire, and then accountable for actually coming through on the payment. It should not be to let the fire keep on going when something CAN be done about it.

[Carnage]

And Im sure he and everyone else would have learned their lesson even if the fire was put out.

[Kraco]

Hotelier leaves home for a week so it can be decorated . . . then 15 jobless Italian squatters move in (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322246/Man-leaves-home-week-decorated-15-squatters-in.html)

And the police can't do anything to stop them.

Wow. I didn't think there was a country with a worse collection of laws than ours, but this article proved I was wrong. I don't know if this should make me happy or sad. I guess the UK has no laws concerning burglary. So, if you are sleeping and wake up to noises from downstairs, you can't call the police because they wouldn't be able to do anything about the unwelcome guests. A funny country.

[Ryllharu]

Hotelier leaves home for a week so it can be decorated . . . then 15 jobless Italian squatters move in (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322246/Man-leaves-home-week-decorated-15-squatters-in.html)

And the police can't do anything to stop them.
I'm sure glad I live in the US. In many of our states, if someone is in your home without your permission (especially as the case with these students who broke in in the first place), the owner is well within their rights to shoot them. They have to be in your home though, you can't shoot them once they're running away.

The old joke is, "If you shoot a thief who is crawling out your window, make sure you drag the body back in."

There is more to it than that, and certain very real consequences depending on the specific response used, but Judicious Use of Deadly Force is authorized for those kinds of circumstances. If that happened in America, he could simply declare them as a threat to him, and if they didn't leave after that, he could shoot them. You also have to verbally warn them before you take action (assuming there was time for that). It is part of any firearm safety course in the US.

[XanBcoo]

I'm sure glad I live in the US. In many of our states, if someone is in your home without your permission (especially as the case with these students who broke in in the first place), the owner is well within their rights to shoot them. They have to be in your home though, you can't shoot them once they're running away.

Oh, Castle Doctrine...:3

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/17/national/main3517564.shtml?source=mostpop_story

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008210107_snack28.html

If there's one thing America does right, it's Bloodlust. That and executing teenagers in your trailer.

[Ryllharu]

Oh, Castle Doctrine...:3

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/17/national/main3517564.shtml?source=mostpop_story

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008210107_snack28.html
Bah, don't quote the first part of my post and skip the second part about how there are consequences and that every effort must be made to avoid lethal force if the situation allows for it.

First article, they left his house, that's already past the point where he could have justified it. The second article...that's just Texas, of course they'll acquit the guy.

[Carnage]

This is ridiculous. If another man breaks into your home and threatens your security, you should have every right to shoot him.

I mean if its an unarmed kid, that's one thing. But for a full adult to break into you house, you should be allowed to defend yourself.

[Animeniax]

This is ridiculous. If another man breaks into your home and threatens your security, you should have every right to shoot him.

I mean if its an unarmed kid, that's one thing. But for a full adult to break into you house, you should be allowed to defend yourself.

That's the dangerous part, how do you know if the "kid" is armed? Do you really want to give them the benefit of the doubt and then eat a bullet?

I had 2 punks, around age 14-17 kick my front door as a prank. I went outside with my gun looking for them, but they had disappeared. I think they were hiding nearby and saw I meant business, since I haven't seen them around my house the past few months since then. From the size of them they looked like full grown adults, but we've seen them around the neighborhood before and they are teens. I think I posted about it in the bitching thread, but if I had seen them that night, they'd be two dead "kids".

[Assertn]

Lol, and XanBcoo, the forum's bleeding-heart liberal, makes a b-line into the conversation. This is why Texas has the lowest reports of burglary in the country. Meanwhile in other states, a thief can trip and hurt himself in an attempt to break into your house and then SUE you for damages.

Also, when the responder was talking about sending ultras, I imagined these careening through the neighborhood:
http://starcraft.incgamers.com/gallery/data/504/medium/Ultralisk.jpg

[Animeniax]

Lol, and XanBcoo, the forum's bleeding-heart liberal, makes a b-line into the conversation. This is why Texas has the lowest reports of burglary in the country. Meanwhile in other states, a thief can trip and hurt himself in an attempt to break into your house and then SUE you for damages.

Also, when the responder was talking about sending ultras, I imagined these careening through the neighborhood

Cold-blooded man, though I agree with you on conservative values and laws governing justice and making the world a safer place. The world is over-crowded anyway, and you and me ain't nuthin' but mammals, and mammals are animals and animals do what we do.

Bwhahah! I also wondered what he meant when he referred to sending "ultras", though I'm not so much of a SC fan to think of 'lisks.

[XanBcoo]

Lol, and XanBcoo, the forum's bleeding-heart liberal, makes a b-line into the conversation. This is why Texas has the lowest reports of burglary in the country. Meanwhile in other states, a thief can trip and hurt himself in an attempt to break into your house and then SUE you for damages.

I don't think it's cool to murder people for trespassing.

Look at my heart.

It's bleeding.

[Pandadice]

Wait a minute, I can't shoot them after they're off my property? .. well it's a good thing I didn't report the last two guys I killed.

[XanBcoo]

Cold-blooded man, though I agree with you on conservative values and laws governing justice and making the world a safer place.
It's the opposite: http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&q=katana+robbery&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=C5cDZrnrCTNjzCYjKgwTHm4y9BwAAAKoEBU_Q_imd# sclient=psy&hl=en&safe=off&q=tough+on+crime+doesn%27t+work&aq=f&aqi=g4g-o1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=9a951961ff9ba31d

Bah, don't quote the first part of my post and skip the second part about how there are consequences and that every effort must be made to avoid lethal force if the situation allows for it.

First article, they left his house, that's already past the point where he could have justified it. The second article...that's just Texas, of course they'll acquit the guy.
Oh, I wasn't so much replying to you as I was mocking Castle Law in general. Responding to anything less than a life-threatening situation in self-defense using deadly force is ridiculous.

I'm happy there are systems in place to allow for self-defense. I am disgusted by the vigilantism and blood lust it stirs up in trigger-happy rednecks.

[Assertn]

I don't think it's cool to murder people for trespassing.
I don't think its cool to be trespassing. What does it say about the law when people are fully aware of it, yet break it anyway?

In all seriousness, though, imagine yourself in that old guy's position. Say you see a bunch of guys sneaking around stealing your friend's personal stuff. You call the authorities, but it's very likely that by the time they arrive, the thieves will be long gone. What do you do? If your answer is "sit and wait," then I'm going to have to accuse you of either being naive in thinking everything will pan out just fine, or being a coward because confrontation is scary.

So let's say you decide to confront them. Now you're in a situation where either:
A) the suspects surrender
B) the suspects flee
C) the suspects attack

Sure, surrender would be ideal, but you don't know what's going on through their heads. You don't even know what they're carrying or what they're capable of. Unless you're going out there with a weapon, I highly doubt they'll surrender, so you need to be in a position of power before you can even challenge them. Now you have a weapon, and the targets might also have weapons, and now the situation escalades.

This is basically exactly what happened as far as the story narrated. The old guy didn't sound like he was Yosemite Sam waiting for the chance to shoot up some varmints. He was in a state of panic and knew he had to do something. He found himself in a dangerous position and reacted the way he felt he needed to in order to dissolve the conflict. Sure, he could've just shot them in the legs, but I wasn't there, so I'm not going to make that call.

Honestly, I think its really easy for any of us to just sit here in our warm comfy rooms sipping on chai tea lattes and argue that justice always prevails and that the system will keep us safe. Meanwhile we watch on as 15 year old girls get raped (http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/15-year-old-girl-gang-raped-witnesses-watched-and-did-nothing/), or allow our planes full of passengers to be hijacked just because a couple guys brought box-cutters onboard, all because we're not "certified law enforcers." I think it's awesome to see a community look out for one another, and it was brave of someone to risk their life to protect someone else's possessions, and its arrogant to believe that if you suddenly found yourself in a similar position, you would be able to handle the situation like any upstanding saturday-morning cartoon superhero.

[Animeniax]

It's the opposite: http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&q=katana+robbery&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=C5cDZrnrCTNjzCYjKgwTHm4y9BwAAAKoEBU_Q_imd# sclient=psy&hl=en&safe=off&q=tough+on+crime+doesn%27t+work&aq=f&aqi=g4g-o1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=9a951961ff9ba31d

Definitely "tough on crime" doesn't work as a system of social control to prevent deviance, but what I'm primarily concerned with is protecting me and mine, and if laws allow that, then I'm all for them.


I don't think its cool to be trespassing. What does it say about the law when people are fully aware of it, yet break it anyway?

In all seriousness, though, imagine yourself in that old guy's position. Say you see a bunch of guys sneaking around stealing your friend's personal stuff. You call the authorities, but it's very likely that by the time they arrive, the thieves will be long gone. What do you do? If your answer is "sit and wait," then I'm going to have to accuse you of either being naive in thinking everything will pan out just fine, or being a coward because confrontation is scary.
Also keep in mind the revolving door nature of crime and punishment. Even if the two burglars were arrested, they'd most likely be out within a couple of years under plea bargain or for some other bs reason (jail overcrowding). I wouldn't want to risk them coming back for revenge or just to burglarize our homes again.

[Pandadice]

Also keep in mind the revolving door nature of crime and punishment. Even if the two burglars were arrested, they'd most likely be out within a couple of years under plea bargain or for some other bs reason (jail overcrowding). I wouldn't want to risk them coming back for revenge or just to burglarize our homes again.

So you have literally 0 faith in the deterrent jail philosophy? You know, the whole reason we send people to jail, punishing them in the hopes that they'll learn from their mistakes. :|

so someone who's either driven to desperation through starvation or other equally inhumane circumstances, or the person is clinically mentally insane, breaks in. Therefore, when they try to take your flat-screen TV, you gotta blow their brains out.

Seriously guys, normal people don't just rob houses. I mean, punk kids break in to get some adrenaline rush, and because it's hip to be an outlaw. But if you want to kill some naive kid because they were trying to be cool, then I gotta go back to the bloodlust thing. But really, those sub-human degenerates are only pressured to break into your house because they can't do anything else. "No way dude, it's the mafia breaking into my house with fully-automatic machine guns to steal my new laptop!" right...

[Ryllharu]

So you have literally 0 faith in the deterrent jail philosophy? You know, the whole reason we send people to jail, punishing them in the hopes that they'll learn from their mistakes. :|
None whatsoever, and that is largely because of the way we treat people who have served their time and go free. There is a overwhelming stigma on a person who has gone to jail. They're not really able to get a normal job because they made some stupid mistake in the past. Yes, there are surely people who wind up in jail and can't be trusted afterward, but that's largely a part of why they were in jail in the first place. But the problem is everyone gets treated like that, regardless of the circumstances.

The social system surrounding incarceration leads them to wind up back in jail. They aren't allowed the chance to get back on their feet and lead a normal life again, so they end up getting desperate once again.

[Carnage]

Not complicated: You break into a home, you pay the consequences.

[Animeniax]

So you have literally 0 faith in the deterrent jail philosophy? You know, the whole reason we send people to jail, punishing them in the hopes that they'll learn from their mistakes. :|

so someone who's either driven to desperation through starvation or other equally inhumane circumstances, or the person is clinically mentally insane, breaks in. Therefore, when they try to take your flat-screen TV, you gotta blow their brains out.

Seriously guys, normal people don't just rob houses. I mean, punk kids break in to get some adrenaline rush, and because it's hip to be an outlaw. But if you want to kill some naive kid because they were trying to be cool, then I gotta go back to the bloodlust thing. But really, those sub-human degenerates are only pressured to break into your house because they can't do anything else. "No way dude, it's the mafia breaking into my house with fully-automatic machine guns to steal my new laptop!" right...

Actually I'm in school learning about criminal justice and the numbers don't lie and the entire US prison/justice system has failed and does not work. Prison sentences and even the death penalty are not significant deterrents to crime. Sending people to jail/prison does not work for the vast majority, it only serves to make them better criminals or postpone their criminal activity.

As Ryllharu said, it's a self-fulfilling mechanism that virtually guarantees people will stay in the system. Without the power to fix the system, common citizens like you and I have only one effective means of dealing with criminals, and that's with lead.

[Pandadice]

I'm sorry, my last post wasn't fully expressed. My point was that these people don't need to "face the consequences," these people simply need help. So a desperate crack addict breaks in to your house to steal your TV so they can get their next fix. They don't need to be shoot and killed, they need to be rehabilitated and given the ability to straighten their life out (uhg. I hate the sound of that phrase. it makes me sound like I'm some superior human who has the right to judge other people's life choices...). You might say "so what, it's just some insane crack addict who doesn't contribute anything to society anyways," and I'd say so the person made some bad calls when they were younger. You could very well have done the same wrong yet easy to make choices had you been in their shoes. Don't try to act like because you come from a privileged upper-middle class (or even high class) family you're a better human than they are.

Actually, you know? druggies don't contribute anything to society. We should definitely just eradicate them. And mentally retarded citizens? they aren't worth the resources it takes to sustain them, we just kill them too. And anyone who isn't a proud white college-graduating patriot shoudn't be allowed in this country. Since this is the country for the privileged, and only real people who should be allowed to label themselves human.

[XanBcoo]

So a desperate crack addict breaks in to your house to steal your TV so they can get their next fix. They don't need to be shoot and killed, they need to be rehabilitated and given the ability to straighten their life out (uhg. I hate the sound of that phrase. it makes me sound like I'm some superior human who has the right to judge other people's life choices...). You might say "so what, it's just some insane crack addict who doesn't contribute anything to society anyways," and I'd say so the person made some bad calls when they were younger.

Actually, you know? druggies don't contribute anything to society. We should definitely just eradicate them. And mentally retarded citizens? they aren't worth the resources it takes to sustain them, we just kill them too. And anyone who isn't a proud white college-graduating patriot shoudn't be allowed in this country. Since this is the country for the privileged, and only real people who should be allowed to label themselves human.
Hey man, better put some gauze on that heart.

It's bleeding.

Edit for real response: In a world where someone can morally justify American soldiers murdering civilians in Iraq, shooting a kid in the back for stealing your Twinkies is a perfectly reasonable solution. I mean, you weren't there, so no questions asked. Fire away.

However, Ryll and Animeniax are absolutely right about jail. Go through some links from the search I posted. Our criminal justice system doesn't work.


Not complicated: You break into a home, you pay the consequences.
*puts on batman mask*
*shoots teenager in the face*

Sure, surrender would be ideal, but you don't know what's going on through their heads. You don't even know what they're carrying or what they're capable of. Unless you're going out there with a weapon, I highly doubt they'll surrender, so you need to be in a position of power before you can even challenge them. Now you have a weapon, and the targets might also have weapons, and now the situation escalades.

Then don't escalate the situation? I don't see what you're trying to convince me of with that example. If you recognize the danger in going into a confrontation where someone will almost certainly wind up dead, you should be smart enough to choose the less drastic option. If I had to decide between letting my tv get stolen or inciting a firefight I would be ok with the former. It has nothing to do with naivete or cowardice and everything to do with not murdering another human being or risking getting killed myself:

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

[Carnage]

*puts on batman mask*
*shoots teenager in the face*




Actually I am curious, does anyone have a statistic on how many of the break-ins in the United States are pulled off by teenagers?

[XanBcoo]

Actually I am curious, does anyone have a statistic on how many of the break-ins in the United States are pulled off by teenagers?
http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/arrests/index.html

Haven't had a chance to poke through it yet, but the fbi has a list of crime statistics from 2009.

[Carnage]

http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/arrests/index.html

Haven't had a chance to poke through it yet, but the fbi has a list of crime statistics from 2009.

Thanks, I took a look through it and found one for 2009 broken down by age groups:

http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_38.html

1/3rd of burglaries are by people younger than 18, I'm actually surprised.

In suburban areas, its 1/4th. Still a much larger number than I would think.

[Splash!]

10 people under 10 yrs old arrested for forcible rape :eek: Its a small number but just the fact that it exists is pretty disturbing...

[Animeniax]

You could very well have done the same wrong yet easy to make choices had you been in their shoes. Don't try to act like because you come from a privileged upper-middle class (or even high class) family you're a better human than they are.

Actually, you know? druggies don't contribute anything to society. We should definitely just eradicate them. And mentally retarded citizens? they aren't worth the resources it takes to sustain them, we just kill them too. And anyone who isn't a proud white college-graduating patriot shoudn't be allowed in this country. Since this is the country for the privileged, and only real people who should be allowed to label themselves human.

You'd better not be talking to me with this post. I'm not white, upper-middle class, or privileged, but I do not make the bad choices whether or not I've been in their shoes. There are always opportunities to improve your situation, but some are illegal. The difference is in the choices you make to improve your situation (even if that's just getting your next fix), but some decisions will get you killed by someone like me who does things the legal and right way to improve his situation.

I agree with your stance on drug addicts, they should be strapped down and left to rot while their own addiction drives them crazy and eats at their bodies. I've long supported using the mentally handicapped and prison populations for science (in the interest of greater good for all humans). Btw, you should know that calling them "retarded" is offensive.

[enkoujin]

I agree with your stance on drug addicts, they should be strapped down and left to rot while their own addiction drives them crazy and eats at their bodies. I've long supported using the mentally handicapped and prison populations for science (in the interest of greater good for all humans). Btw, you should know that calling them "retarded" is offensive.

Coincidentally, I am reading a book about Henrietta Lacks. Up until the 1970's, physician-scientists did perform human experimentation such as injecting viruses and causes of diseases into prison inmates and volunteers often without consent for the "good of science".

As for mentally handicapped people, I am in a conundrum with what to do with or treat them because their situations conflict my morals.

I can't really go into details with my opinions on social issues, but to fix most issues in society, there should be more focus on preventing devastating situation x with preventitive measures y - e.g., revamp the educational system to reinforce the value of education through borderline indoctrination, which will lessen the rates of crime.

I mean, seriously, the reason why we have shitty kids today who indulge in debauchery and all this crime is because some parents couldn't raise their children properly. Because of this, you, your neighbour and your bretheren are the ones who have to pay for the product of someone's unplanned or terrible child-raising techniques. This is something that doesn't sit quite well with me.

You don't have to be rich or poor (though it helps) to raise children the right way - you just have to have to instill plain old discipline and good morals into them through the use of moderate child physical punishment.

I can't really say much, since I'm not an expert on social issues, but my suggest is that the government should enforce mandatory parenting classes for those expecting their first born children so we have less crime going on.

Furthermore, I agree with using guns to kill people who tresspass on your property. If someone you don't want is on your property and is doing (most often) some bad shit in your house, you have the right to protect your own property.

[Animeniax]

I mean, seriously, the reason why we have shitty kids today who indulge in debauchery and all this crime is because some parents couldn't raise their children properly. Because of this, you, your neighbour and your bretheren are the ones who have to pay for the product of someone's unplanned or terrible child-raising techniques. This is something that doesn't sit quite well with me.

You don't have to be rich or poor (though it helps) to raise children the right way - you just have to have to instill plain old discipline and good morals into them through the use of moderate child physical punishment.

I agree with you on all points. Republicans like to say that other peoples' kids are those peoples' problems, they shouldn't be a burden on everyone else. But if you don't take care of those kids, they will become criminals and cause more trouble for the good people. So in raising up the lowly to succeed, we help society as a whole. I'm not a Democrat, but I do agree with that line of thinking. Improve the conditions for the worst of society, and that improves the condition of all of humanity.

I also think we need to go back to physical punishment of children, ie paddling at schools and belt lashings at home. Timeouts do not work.

[Kraco]

I also think we need to go back to physical punishment of children, ie paddling at schools and belt lashings at home. Timeouts do not work.

Forbidding physical punishments is fucked up. It's exactly the kind of thinking that has no practical basis, only theoretical. Also the kind of thinking that seems so saintly it might get you a few votes from voters who don't anymore or yet have kids of the significant age. But I don't know how a politician proposing removing the ban would fare in the next elections.

[Ryllharu]

Coincidentally, I am reading a book about Henrietta Lacks. Up until the 1970's, physician-scientists did perform human experimentation such as injecting viruses and causes of diseases into prison inmates and volunteers often without consent for the "good of science".
Henrietta Lacks as in the immortal HeLa cancer cell line? She didn't die well because of her the type of cervical cancer she had and the inadequate treatments available at the time, but she was by no means mistreated.

She was given the array of standard procedures of the time.

Stuff like the Tuskegee syphilis experiment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Study_of_Untreated_Syphilis_in_the_Negro_ Male), that's totally different. The case with Henrietta Lacks is nothing like that. Even if you do view it that way, her cells are getting their revenge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa#Contamination) on medical science anyway, but they've also done a great deal of good.

[Animeniax]

Henrietta Lacks as in the immortal HeLa cancer cell line? She didn't die well because of her the type of cervical cancer she had and the inadequate treatments available at the time, but she was by no means mistreated.

She was given the array of standard procedures of the time.

Stuff like the Tuskegee syphilis experiment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Study_of_Untreated_Syphilis_in_the_Negro_ Male), that's totally different. The case with Henrietta Lacks is nothing like that. Even if you do view it that way, her cells are getting their revenge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa#Contamination) on medical science anyway, but they've also done a great deal of good.
I've wondered about the uproar over the Tuskegee syphillis experiment, particularly the issue people have with not informing the subjects or providing the cure when it became available. If the guys didn't know about the treatment anyway, what's wrong with not telling them? People need to educate themselves, not wait for others to tell them what's what.

[enkoujin]

Henrietta Lacks as in the immortal HeLa cancer cell line? She didn't die well because of her the type of cervical cancer she had and the inadequate treatments available at the time, but she was by no means mistreated.

She was given the array of standard procedures of the time.

Stuff like the Tuskegee syphilis experiment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Study_of_Untreated_Syphilis_in_the_Negro_ Male), that's totally different. The case with Henrietta Lacks is nothing like that. Even if you do view it that way, her cells are getting their revenge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa#Contamination) on medical science anyway, but they've also done a great deal of good.

The book (Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot) about Henrietta Lacks discussed other medical events like the Tuskgee syphilis experiment and Southam's [other] experiments - I never said that Henrietta Lacks was the subject of unfair human experimentation.

I apologize for any misunderstandings you may have had, Ryllharu.


If the guys didn't know about the treatment anyway, what's wrong with not telling them? People need to educate themselves, not wait for others to tell them what's what.

From what I've read in the book, some of the inmates from the Ohio pentitary volunteered to be medical lab rats. They hoped that by being experiments, they could redeem themselves from the crimes they've done. I wonder why we don't have criminals with such nobleness in this day and age.

[Animeniax]

From what I've read in the book, some of the inmates from the Ohio pentitary volunteered to be medical lab rats. They hoped that by being experiments, they could redeem themselves from the crimes they've done. I wonder why we don't have criminals with such nobleness in this day and age.

I don't think it matters if they consent or not, they are protected by ethics committees and the law against this sort of thing. I think being in prison qualifies you as having diminished capacity to make your own decisions, effectively preventing you from choosing to participate freely in experimentation.

[UChessmaster]

4 year old girl gets sued for negligence (http://world-news.newsvine.com/_news/2010/10/29/5371487-court-girl-4-can-be-sued-for-negligence#comments)

Only in America.

[Kraco]

Only in America.

They'll soon start to sue animals as well, like they did in medieval Europe.

[Buffalobiian]

People under the age of 17 can not be sued here, for better or worse.

[Assertn]

4 year old girl gets sued for negligence (http://world-news.newsvine.com/_news/2010/10/29/5371487-court-girl-4-can-be-sued-for-negligence#comments)

Only in America.

Family sues a genie (http://newsbizarre.com/2009/07/family-to-sue-genie-for-stealing-mobile.html)
Only in... Saudi Arabia?

Edit: Also, I don't know if you actually read your article but, uh... the old lady died as a result of the kids severly injuring her. It sounds like the old lady was in plain view, too. Of course, the power of the media makes it easy to just isolate a sentence and extrapolate a completely different tone for the article, doesn't it?

[Death BOO Z]

Family sues a genie (http://newsbizarre.com/2009/07/family-to-sue-genie-for-stealing-mobile.html)
Only in... Saudi Arabia?

If I had to guess, I'd say that the family knows pretty darn well who's harassing them, but cannot sue directly because it would constitute as dirt slinging, or might be accounted in a different trial going on between the two fractions. So, by blaming it on 'natural spirits', they publicly force the justice system to look into it, and dig out the "real" culprit, who they already know very well.


...to engage in risky behavior such as running across a street

well, that sure is risky behavior, running!
I think that the training wheels should be the key point here. the children were not professionally qualified to use and control bicycles, and they have announced it by using the training wheels. any “reasonably prudent adult,” who presumably lived in the age before cars and mass transportation , should know that children can bump into people when riding their bicycles.

[Buffalobiian]

Edit: Also, I don't know if you actually read your article but, uh... the old lady died as a result of the kids severly injuring her. It sounds like the old lady was in plain view, too. Of course, the power of the media makes it easy to just isolate a sentence and extrapolate a completely different tone for the article, doesn't it?

That sentence was apparent, but wasn't dwelled on. Whether the lady died or not only impacts on the severity of the action and the resulting compensation, not whether or not someone is qualified to be negligible for that said action.

To me, the problem lies with the arbitrary line of responsibility that is "4 years of age". Is there some sort of evidence to back up that line? Some study that indicates children above the age of 4 are capable of being responsible for their own actions and comprehending the consequence like and adult? At the same time, that those under this age of 4 are equally unable to do so and therefore should be exempt from responsibility or negligence?

While the age of 18 here is still "arbitrary" to an extent, it's commonly accepted as being more reasonable. You can choose your own education. You can move out of home. You can drink. You can vote. You can marry. While there may not be any physiological evidence that behaviour over the age of 18 should be more reasonable than 17, you're expected to exercise reasonable judgement (and be accountable for it) since you're given the right to the above actions that make you a free adult.

I really can't say the same for a kid below the age of 5.

[Assertn]

That sentence was apparent, but wasn't dwelled on. Whether the lady died or not only impacts on the severity of the action and the resulting compensation, not whether or not someone is qualified to be negligible for that said action.
Well, maybe, but the point is that its not so strange for the position of the prosecution once you put in a little more context. People see the tagline "4 year old was negligent" and immediately default to "oh, kids will be kids" without any sort of context. Of course that context can still range from rough-housing on the monkey bars to pummeling the neighbor's cat with a baseball bat. Yes, kids do stupid things, but there should be some primitive sense of right and wrong present there, even if its not as attuned in a 4 year old as it is in an 18 year old.

Also, in defense of the prosecution, I think the whole intention of filing a lawsuit was not necessarily to ruin these kids, but to bring attention to the situation in court and allow it to properly compensate the victims.

@Death BOO Z: Now that you mention it, I seem to remember reading about the mud-slinging paranoia of that culture. Supposedly its not too uncommon to blame abstract things in favor of the obvious culprit.

[Kraco]

How do we know the old lady was behaving properly? I have seen more elders than I care to count who seem to be dedicating all of their remaining brain capacity to taking the next step, paying no heed whatsoever to what is going on around them. They can walk right in front of a bicycle coming from the right. I can adjust my biking correctly to avoid contact with such hazardous geezers but can you expect a four years old to be capable of judging the behavior of adults?

[Carnage]

Jesus Fuck Democrats are going to be slaughtered this tuesday.

[Animeniax]

Jesus Fuck Democrats are going to be slaughtered this tuesday.

Perfect, another few years of policy deadlock and 0 progress.

It's been said before and it'll be said again... democracy doesn't work.

[Assertn]

Perfect, another few years of policy deadlock and 0 progress.

It's been said before and it'll be said again... democracy doesn't work.

Democracy worked back when people who voted actually had informed opinions about the issues.

[Ryllharu]

It also worked when Representatives actually represented the people in the districts they ran for, rather than just worrying about getting re-elected for 3/4 of their term. Put limits on time and money spent campaigning, and maybe even reasonable term limits and the problem will fix itself.

The founders expected a person to serve for a time and then get back to their own affairs, not make a career out of it.

(Senators only worry about the last 1/3 of their terms, the rest they just do whatever they want no matter what they said to get elected.)

Only two more days of non-stop political ads!

[Carnage]

Democracy worked back when people who voted actually had informed opinions about the issues.

Wait when was this?

[Death BOO Z]

supposedly, back in Athens democracy, when 5000 privileged men could get together and make rousing speeches.

of course, due to human nature, it was more like 50 trolls and 300 lurkers bashing each other and calling to pass a decision to ilegalize people they don't like.

or something in between.

democracy needs elected officials who know about the issues, and voters who know what the issues are and how to learn more about them.

[Uchiha Barles]

People don't want to know the issues that don't effect their everyday lives. In this country at least, it seems to me that everyone *feels* so damned busy with doing as they must to pay the bills, provide for their families, or otherwise just make it to the next day. Human Nature has it that humans will look after their own interests first and foremost, and will often further it beyond "necessity" to ensure that their interests remain defended. Combine these two tidbits with the fact that there is a subset of people who make it a career to be informed in the methods of promoting their own interests in our society, and now you have the real problem.

Need to convince everyone that reasonable term limits and an informed voting populace are necessary for the success of democracy? Then figure out how you get past the barrier of apathy caused by people's *busy* schedules.

[Splash!]

supposedly, back in Athens democracy, when 5000 privileged men could get together and make rousing speeches.

of course, due to human nature, it was more like 50 trolls and 300 lurkers bashing each other and calling to pass a decision to ilegalize people they don't like.

or something in between.

democracy needs elected officials who know about the issues, and voters who know what the issues are and how to learn more about them.

Frankly, getting the masses to 'smarten up' just isn't going to happen. Even if people become more informed, they don't automatically become less stupid. Knowledge does not equate to intelligence. So ultimately, leaving the decision of electing a leader in the hands of the masses is something that is never really going to work.

I think what is needed is a much more rigorous and discriminating system of selecting candidates where the involvement of the masses is kept to a minimum. Every candidate must prove that they will be an excellent leader. The masses can then go ahead and vote on these candidates. They can have the satisfaction of being part of the decision making process, although at this point, any one of the candidates would be good.

The focus on informing the public too much is a bad idea because once they understand the candidates better, they can influence the outcome of an election with their own selfish motives. Information on each candidate should be readily available, but should be something that people have to make an effort to look into themselves. Its better for stupid people who couldn't care less to make random decisions than ones with a motive. Of course, for this to work, the whole idea of campaigning and gaining popularity needs to be abolished. And at the end of the day, each of the candidates would make a good leader anyways.

[Ryllharu]

People don't want to know the issues that don't effect their everyday lives. In this country at least, it seems to me that everyone *feels* so damned busy with doing as they must to pay the bills, provide for their families, or otherwise just make it to the next day.The problem is that increasingly, especially with the current and past administration, there are a lot of laws passed that do affect people's everyday lives in rather profound ways. They're snuck in under the guise of other laws, or shoved through while the media makes a big fuss about something else stupid or minor instead of doing their own damn jobs like investigative journalism.

Lawmakers assist this process by describing the newest law as "helpful" or "simplifying" when it typically does the exact opposite.

[DeathscytheVII]

Anyone seen/been to the Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear yesterday?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/30/rally-to-restore-sanity-huffington-post-_n_776541.html

[Pandadice]

I was there. despite my early leave, I didn't make it to the mall until around 2:30 though :\.

still, it was cool and I'm glad I went. Seeing the mass of people with the different signs was all cool. But man.. what was the deal with that "Japan: a black hole for child abductions (http://bachome.org/wordpress/)" group handing out fliers/waving a giant flag/ wearing (and selling?) T shirts? :( I got handed one of their fliers and I was like "Japan's abducted nearly 300 kids?? what the heck japan? O_O" then I remembered that OVA about the Japanese girl who gets abducted by Koreans and I thought "eh, must just be one of those things from that part of the world."

either way, "Children go in but no child ever comes out..." is a bit dramatic D:

Also all the b tards were pretty annoying. And a lot of the "clever" signs stopped being clever after you'd seen enough of them.. But yeah, good rally.

[Ryllharu]

SpaceX's Falcon 9 took off with their Dragon capsule on top, orbited the Earth twice, and splashed down. Tests went pretty much flawlessly.

Elon Musk, CTO of SpaceX, "I think it's just a testament to the incredible work of people at SpaceX," he said. "For a rocket to work and a spacecraft to work, they're both incredibly complex devices. There's so much that can go wrong... I'm sort of in semi-shock."

They hope to have the next set of tests buzz the ISS, and then dock with it unmanned before they go for human-rated certification.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/002/press/

The pictures brought a single tear to my eye. Commercial spaceflight...hell yeah. Suck it lazy NASA contractors, your era is over.

[Xelbair]

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/12/13/tokyo-anime-manga-ban-passes/

Yaay, now Tokyo officially supports censorship...

[Buffalobiian]

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/12/13/tokyo-anime-manga-ban-passes/

Yaay, now Tokyo officially supports censorship...

"Holy Fuck. The Mayans got the date a little too late..." -Sankaku comment

That sucks. How about Tokyo go and sort out REAL sex crimes, like all those assaults that happen all too often in schools and trains..

In the meanwhile, Australia's also just declined the "R18+" game rating for now.

Such a sad day. :(

[Pandadice]

Doesn't sound too bad. Maybe now we can get some actual titles made and not just fanservice titles. The law isn't gonna bother with moe titles like K-ON.. I am interested in getting an idea of how much violence will be allowed though.

[Kraco]

Doesn't sound too bad. Maybe now we can get some actual titles made and not just fanservice titles. The law isn't gonna bother with moe titles like K-ON.. I am interested in getting an idea of how much violence will be allowed though.

Unfortunately this ban wasn't planned to raise the quality of manga, anime, and games (as if any ban could), it was devised to shut down a part of the industry because the people behind the ban hate the industry for their own personal reasons. So, I wouldn't count on them not bothering with any particular type with a law that has more etcs than explicit descriptions.

[bagandscalpel]

Doesn't sound too bad. Maybe now we can get some actual titles made and not just fanservice titles. The law isn't gonna bother with moe titles like K-ON.. I am interested in getting an idea of how much violence will be allowed though.

If I'm interpreting it right, still doesn't bode well for things like Berserk or Gantz which, even though it's already R-18 stuff over here, will definitely lose sales over in Moonland when they're shoehorned in alongside the porn.

[XanBcoo]

Disgruntled land-whale interrupts school board meeting in Florida with V for Vendetta bullshit, shoots up the place, hits no one, shoots self.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-viral-video-school-board-shooting,0,6135370.htmlstory

There's so much weird stuff about this event, like the way the gunman accidentally fires a shot into the floor, and the sneak attack by the purse wielding board member, "Ginger".

I love the way one of the hostages tries to lackadaisically dissuade her heroics.
"NO, Ginger...Ginger no...

no...Ginger..."

[Animeniax]

@Xan: I shouldn't be laughing at that incident but it's impossible not to, everything is so ludicrous and surreal.

I don't know whether to be proud of Ginger's feeble attempt or embarrassed for her.

[KrayZ33]

Ginger wanted to be the hero in the news so hard, but failed :(

[Buffalobiian]

Ginger wanted to be the hero in the news so hard, but failed :(

I'm surprised at how LITTLE effort she put into it (that, or she is very, very weak). She barely swung that handbag.

[Animeniax]

Ginger wanted to be the hero in the news so hard, but failed :(

Ginger may become a celebrity yet:
Purse used in attempt to stop school board shooter gets $13100 on ebay (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/12/23/2010-12-23_purse_used_in_attempt_to_stop_school_board_shoo ter_gets_13100_on_ebay_bag_maker_.html?r=news/national)

[UChessmaster]

New zodiac signs. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110113/us_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110113horoscopehangupearthrot ationchangeszodiacsignsxidrssfullnationyahoo) What`s yours now? i`m Ophiucus...?

[Marik]

What`s yours now? i`m Ophiucus...?

My birthday is August 14, so I'm still a Leo.

[Buffalobiian]

I was a Capricorn, but now it says I should really be a Sagittarius.

Great, first new planets, now new zodiacs.

Buff is confused.

[Kraco]

As if I'd change libra to, of all things, virgo. Screw you, stupid scientists.

[darkshadow]

Indeed fuck that, Libra forever.

[Xelbair]

Screw this - I'll still consider myself Scorpio.

[UChessmaster]

I`m really sorry that everyone that got a tattoo of their sign now has a worthless tattoo, j/k it`s hilarious.

[KitKat]

If anyone has been following the train wreck that is Canada's decline into metered internet, here is a witty ad about it.

Click here! (http://i.imgur.com/M3G7f.png)

[Splash!]

When it comes to telecommunications, Canada is alot worse than many developing 3rd world countries :(

[Buffalobiian]

I have no idea why you guys are falling backwards like this.. even Australia's been enjoying unlimited plans for about a year now.

[enkoujin]

Oligopolies suck.

Regulation is good sometimes, but not when it's affecting consumer prices as ridiculous as it is right now.

[rockmanj]

So, There is Thunder, lightning and blizzard outside: http://www.businessinsider.com/wrigley-field-damaged-by-high-winds-in-chicago-blizzard-2011-2 I kind of wanted to go to work tomorrow too.

[Assertn]

Meanwhile in LA it's 70s and sunny.

So glad I'm not in Detroit now.

[Kraco]

Oligopolies suck.

Regulation is good sometimes, but not when it's affecting consumer prices as ridiculous as it is right now.

Isn't regulation meant to help consumers in modern times? Competition laws against cartels and other such means of regulation? Over here it's working adequately in the communications business. Nothing is cheap over here (except a human life, har har), but at least there are no monthly download caps in any normal company's plans. Mobile plans might have some.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if they soon introduced those over here. Finland has been steadily falling for years on the lists of advanced Internet using societies. The ISPs largely stopped development years ago and only reap profits nowadays.

[Buffalobiian]

Tape released of intruder's call to police


US police have released a tape of the extraordinary 911 call an intruder made from the bathroom of the house he had broken into.

Timothy Chapek, 25, entered the home in Portland, Oregon on Monday night "to take a shower" and locked himself in the bathroom when he heard the owner arrive home.

Read more: Showering intruder calls police (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8221386/showering-intruder-calls-911-on-homeowner)

Chapek feared he would be shot and called police.

"I just broke into a house and the owners came home," he tells the 911 operator.

Sounding stunned, the operator replies: "You broke into a house?"

"Yeah," Chapek says. "They (the owners) can…they can hear me."

In the tape, owner Hilary McKenzie can be heard to say: "Why are you in my house taking a shower?"

"I'm sorry," Chapek replies.

McKenzie then asks Chapek why he is in her house, to which Chapek confesses: "I broke in."

"All right, I'm calling the police," McKenzie says.

"I've already called them, they are on the phone now," Chapek helpfully informs her.

The police phone operator and Mackenzie then discuss the intrusion.

"He was in the bathroom and the door's shut and he said he is in there and I said who the hell are you?" McKenzie tells police laughing.

The operator asks if he was drunk or high.

"Well, he's obviously nuts," Mackenzie replies.

Chapek has been charged with trespassing.
http://www.iinet.net.au/customers/news/articles/8221915.html

[enkoujin]

I'd be scared and do the same as him as well.

Americans have the right to use their arms to defend themselves against trespassers at anytime, so it's obviously better in any situation to be arrested instead risking your own life.

Here's the background on the man:


...

He was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing. Police say Chapek has an extensive criminal history and had been released from jail earlier that same day.

He had been in jail since the end of January for probation violations.

He has been convicted of DUI, driving with a suspended license and attempting to elude.

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=14220931


...

Officers arriving on the scene moments later took Chapek into custody without incident. The police report says nothing else seemed to be amiss in the home and that Chapek told officers "he was taking a shower and nothing more."

Chapek was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to face a charge of trespassing.

The police report noted that Chapek "is intelligent but conversation with him suggests mental issues of some sort."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/08/us-intruder-shower-idUSTRE72775920110308

I wouldn't blame this guy if he was homeless, unemployed and was just looking for a place to freshen up. From what I know, it's hard for homeless people to get a job if they don't have access to an establishment that will allow them to clean themselves.

[rockmanj]

This is kind of an interesting interview: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2011/03/13/im-sorry-i-could-not-be-friend-manning-adrian-lamo

[Dark Dragon]

Obama administration wants to make illegal streaming a felony. (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/obama-ip-czar-wants-felony-charges-for-illegal-web-streaming.ars?comments=1#comments-bar)

[Buffalobiian]

Obama administration wants to make illegal streaming a felony. (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/obama-ip-czar-wants-felony-charges-for-illegal-web-streaming.ars?comments=1#comments-bar)

Interesting little bit there about US radio stations paying songwriters over bands. I would have thought the the pay went to the label that the band signed up with, or the band themselves if they're an indie one.

[Kraco]

Does that mean Youtube will go permanently offline or is it protected by some other law as long as they immediately take down any offending material as soon as they notice or they are asked to take it down? (And have a clause somewhere that the uploader is responsible for making sure he owns the copyrights of his own uploads, even though the uploader is certainly not the one performing the act of streaming.)

[rockmanj]

Interesting little bit there about US radio stations paying songwriters over bands. I would have thought the the pay went to the label that the band signed up with, or the band themselves if they're an indie one.

Nah, the US's policy on paying artists for radio play is shit. The law says that the publicity is payment enough. That is why it is not common to see singers/rappers/etc. that have heavy radio play and are broke.


Also, Nate Dogg died: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/16/nate-dogg-dead_n_836364.html

[Dark Dragon]

Does that mean Youtube will go permanently offline or is it protected by some other law as long as they immediately take down any offending material as soon as they notice or they are asked to take it down? (And have a clause somewhere that the uploader is responsible for making sure he owns the copyrights of his own uploads, even though the uploader is certainly not the one performing the act of streaming.)

I think youtube will be fine even after this go into effect. The only thing that might happen is there will be a significant decrease in uploads. This law will pretty much gives copyright trolls free reign in court. If someone happens to use any image, song or video of something copyrighted then they can be wiretapped and charged with a felony.

It's get even worst when you considered that someone doing a cover of a song can be charged since it won't fall under fair use. Of course not every company still start suing people over a youtube clip, but i foresee youtube taking down a lot of these guitar/piano covers of popular songs.

[Animeniax]

Also, Nate Dogg died: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/16/nate-dogg-dead_n_836364.html Wow, Nate Dogg, dead? Two strokes and he was only 41? Was he chunky or was it a congenital condition?

[rockmanj]

Wow, Nate Dogg, dead? Two strokes and he was only 41? Was he chunky or was it a congenital condition?

I have no idea, but he was quite young to be having strokes.

[Penner]

Hmm, you know this youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVdEQW1LXDI) of the kid who "bodyslams" his bully?

Here's an interview with him (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHsUfY4hpKk)

And here's an interview with the "bully" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF08Dhyjy48)

[Marik]

He must be a fan of Jack Swagger's. He picked him up Gutwrench Powerbomb style and dropped him. Awesome.

[KitKat]

Well, when a family member makes it into the news its either really good or really bad. In this case, it was a close call that could have resulted in me flying back home for a funeral. But thankfully there were a couple brave citizens that came by and saved my cousin's life after he overturned his car in a field. He's home from the hospital already and only has a few scrapes and bruises. Thank God!

News report from local source. (http://www.570news.com/radio/570news/article/200435--one-lucky-teen#Comments)

[Lucifus]

Wow, I'm glad to hear he's alright. He certainly is a lucky fella, not accounting for the rollover of course!

It's very fortunate the passer-by's stopped and investigated; do you know if they witnessed the accident, or just decided to go look at the overturned vehicle?

You better sound him cookies!

[Animeniax]

I think I heard about this on the Weather Channel. Unless it was another guy who was saved by good samaritans by keeping his head out of the water until help arrived.

[rockmanj]

Not today, but still newsworthy and badass to boot: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-quake-scuba-20110317,0,7192950.story

[Buffalobiian]

Can social media compromise crime fighting? (http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/03/31/3179220.htm)


Hah, I knew this shit was evil.

[enkoujin]

Conservatives Win Majority Government in Canadian Federal Election (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13259484)

This brought tears to my redneck eyes.

[KitKat]

Conservatives Win Majority Government in Canadian Federal Election (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13259484)

This brought tears to my redneck eyes.

The best part of this election was the end of the Bloc Quebecois. It looks like Quebec has decided they want to be a part of Canada finally. Also, Elizabeth May got elected for the Greens! Go Liz! Hopefully with NDP as official opposition we'll see the Conservatives pushed to take some more action on the environmental issues they've been neglecting.

[Marik]

British woman beheaded in busy Tenerife supermarket (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/8512540/British-woman-beheaded-in-busy-Tenerife-supermarket.html)

That dude is beyond insane...

[fahoumh]

British woman beheaded in busy Tenerife supermarket (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/8512540/British-woman-beheaded-in-busy-Tenerife-supermarket.html)

That dude is beyond insane...
That is seriously fucked up.

[dragonrage]

Are you ready for z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e (http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp) . The CDC can help you.

[Marik]

RIP, Macho Man Randy Savage (http://www.tmz.com/2011/05/20/randy-savage-car-accident-macho-man-dead-dies-died-killed-wwe-wrestler-florida) :(

[Uchiha Barles]

Oh this sucks...my eyes are actually welling up with tears :-(

[XanBcoo]

Are you ready for z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e (http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp) . The CDC can help you.

This is terrifying, considering that the CDC is serious organization and that the world is supposed to end tomorrow.

Obviously I don't believe either one will happen, but the concurrence of these 2 stories is great.

[dragonrage]

This is terrifying, considering that the CDC is serious organization and that the world is supposed to end tomorrow.

Obviously I don't believe either one will happen, but the concurrence of these 2 stories is great.

It's a great way to get attention to the CDC site by incorporating a social medium. Also 2 days after it was posted the site went down due to traffic, mission accomplished i guess.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/19/zombie.warning/

[Sapphire]

The hell? Keep the troll shit off government websites, please.

[dragonrage]

The hell? Keep the troll shit off government websites, please.

If you noticed the actual plan involves things one would do for blackouts, floods, earthquakes and many other disasters. While it is a comical concept, it contains vital information for preparedness and does raise awareness. While it is not really a plausible concept, the fact that many people read this post by the CDC means a lot of them have gained some kind of awareness of how to prepare for certain events.

Tell the truth would you really go to the CDC for something if it wasn't pretty much to late? If someone doesn't actually sit you down and try to educated you on it ( all the while with you thinking this is boring and a waste of time). Would you do it on your own?

[Ryllharu]

The hell? Keep the troll shit off government websites, please.

The thing to take away from this is that even if this blog post (key point) was comical in nature, it highlighted that the CDC would treat a zombie apocalypse precisely the same way they would treat any major infectious outbreak or other disaster. That's the kind of reaction you'd want from them too. Not panic, confusion and bickering leadership, but the same thorough methodical approach they use today.

[Buffalobiian]

I noticed the pack did not include weapons of any sort.

[Ryllharu]

I noticed the pack did not include weapons of any sort.

It's listed under Tools and Supplies as "etc."

[Kraco]

I noticed the pack did not include weapons of any sort.

They can't encourage ordinary, untrained civilians to directly engage zombies, especially with the chance of extreme virulence.

[Buffalobiian]

Not against zombies necessarily.

Why stock up supplies when you can rob your neighbour's?

[Dark Dragon]

Note to self: In the event of an apocalypse, do not live next to buff.

I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of it by now, but the rapture is suppose to be today. (http://www.smh.com.au/world/rapture-deadline-passes-world-still-here-20110521-1eycn.html)

So if your body starts to ascend toward heaven, don't panic. In any event, it's unlikely that it'll happen to anyone at gotwoot :D.

[XanBcoo]

The only thing more annoying than the people who buy into that are the people who roll their eyes and say "Clearly that guy is a nutcase. Only GOD knows when The Rapture will happen."

Pot calling religious kettle black.

[poopdeville]

I had not heard about this.

[Carnage]

The only thing more annoying than the people who buy into that are the people who roll their eyes and say "Clearly that guy is a nutcase. Only GOD knows when The Rapture will happen."

Pot calling religious kettle black.

Well, certainly one case is more extreme than the other.

[XanBcoo]

Neither claim has any validity whatsoever. I just find it hilariously hypocritical.

[Animeniax]

All you need to know to survive the zombie apocalypse you can learn from watching Zombieland, including not trusting hot chicks in the apocalyptic wasteland.

[Sapphire]

So, I woke up, and the world isn't over over here. Is it over any where else for you guys?

About the zombie apocalypse post: My neighbor bought me the "Zombie Survival Guide" for Christmas. I read the hell out of that book. I suggest that everyone buy that, if they really know how to be be ready for the next Zombie Apocalypse Invasion thingy.

I have the overwhelming feeling that if there was a zombie apocalypse, the government would react the same way as in Walking Dead, that is, going into hospitals and massacring everyone for whatever reason...

Has anyone seen Children of Men? That is the ultimate apocalypse movie. In the story, no one has had a child in 18 years, so everyone is going crazy. The movie really brings on this feeling of hopeless condemnation. In the book version, the British government makes everyone learn animal husbandry, just in case they found themselves as the last humans on earth.

About the rapture post: Has anyone seen Left Behind? I used to love that movie when I was a kid.

Wow, I finally clicked on the news article, and I totally recognize all those signs. I saw them all over town, including on campus. I saw people standing on the street and passing fliers out. I thought it was just a concert that they were advertising for, and they were just being really pretentious about it! No idea they actually thought the world was ending. LOL.

[Buffalobiian]

I was totally out of the loop for this whole rapture thing. By the time I heard about it, Day of Rapture had already passed.


Note to self: In the event of an apocalypse, do not live next to buff.

Hah, my intention was to highlight the fact that the guide tells you to store supplies, but doesn't tell you that you should be protecting them. Though it could also put weapons as under Foraging and Gathering or something....

[Kraco]

Hah, my intention was to highlight the fact that the guide tells you to store supplies, but doesn't tell you that you should be protecting them. Though it could also put weapons as under Foraging and Gathering or something....

I've never in my life seen a government catastrophe guide telling you that you should hoard weapons to defend your emergency supplies from your neighbours... Is it an Australian flavour?

[Buffalobiian]

I've never in my life seen a government catastrophe guide telling you that you should hoard weapons to defend your emergency supplies from your neighbours... Is it an Australian flavour?

No, but I thought it might be one for one of the American nations. The idea of having emergency packs isn't even advertised here.

[Animeniax]

So, I woke up, and the world isn't over over here. Is it over any where else for you guys?

About the zombie apocalypse post: My neighbor bought me the "Zombie Survival Guide" for Christmas. I read the hell out of that book. I suggest that everyone buy that, if they really know how to be be ready for the next Zombie Apocalypse Invasion thingy.

Has anyone seen Children of Men? That is the ultimate apocalypse movie. In the story, no one has had a child in 18 years, so everyone is going crazy. The movie really brings on this feeling of hopeless condemnation. In the book version, the British government makes everyone learn animal husbandry, just in case they found themselves as the last humans on earth.

I couldn't miss the subtle racial/ethnic undertones of Children of Men, like when they were arresting all foreigners. I think it reflects an underlying nationalism/racism prevalent in the UK and western Europe.

I haven't read the Zombie Survival Guide, but I have read How to Survive a Robot Uprising (http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Robot-Uprising-Defending/dp/1582345929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306080627&sr=1-1) which wasn't as useful as hoped. What do we do when zombie robots walk the earth??

[Sapphire]

That sounds quite useful!!

[rockmanj]

I couldn't miss the subtle racial/ethnic undertones of Children of Men, like when they were arresting all foreigners. I think it reflects an underlying nationalism/racism prevalent in the UK and western Europe.

I haven't read the Zombie Survival Guide, but I have read How to Survive a Robot Uprising (http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Robot-Uprising-Defending/dp/1582345929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306080627&sr=1-1) which wasn't as useful as hoped. What do we do when zombie robots walk the earth??

I saw the same things you did. I enjoyed both the movie and the book. Children of men was quite a thought provoking film.

[Animeniax]

Scotty Wins!


I think American Idolater is a bunch of crap.

[Sapphire]

Are you talking about American Idol? :O

[Animeniax]

Are you talking about American Idol? :O

Yes. I watch Simpsons on Fox at 6:30 every evening, then fall asleep (old man needs his evening nap). AI just happens to come on right after, so I woke up around 8:30, just in time to see Scotty win. Blah, another country singer.

[rockmanj]

Yes. I watch Simpsons on Fox at 6:30 every evening, then fall asleep (old man needs his evening nap).

http://www.globalnerdy.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/grandpa_simpson_yelling_at_cloud.jpg


Remember, country singers represent the "Real America". Not that fake one with all those urban people with their godlessness and hippity-hoppity music.

[dragonrage]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x51/rockmanj/Snowboarding.jpg

Remember, country singers represent the "Real America". Not that fake one with all those urban people with their godlessness and hippity-hoppity music.


This face and those words........ don't match....

[rockmanj]

My point exactly; I am obviously not a "Real American" in the eyes of some (although I believe my niece enjoys country music), which I find to be very humorous.

[dragonrage]

Me thinks the American constitution shares a different opinion, along with all the other genres of music Americans has spawned that has become synonymous with being an American. The people you are noting are people with very limited views that has very little interaction urban society or just are ignorant of others or just damn arrogant. Throughout the years I have become less of a fan of Hip hop and rap music because it has been degraded in content. But i see your, point good sir.

[Animeniax]

In AI's defense, Carrie Underwood is one of it's greatest products. I don't care for her music, but she is good people. Can't really say the same for Fantasia.

[rockmanj]

Wow, I was just being sarcastic and liken Ani to Abe Simpson, and it led to this. I like when these sort of things happen.

[Dark Dragon]

First man to be cured of HIV. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110603/us_yblog_thelookout/first-man-functionally-cured-of-hiv)

[Sapphire]

Holy fucking shitting fucking shit.

[Uchiha Barles]

First man to be cured of HIV. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110603/us_yblog_thelookout/first-man-functionally-cured-of-hiv)

That's beautiful. Also prompted me to do a little google search about people immune to the HIV virus, at which point I ran into the following:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100505133250.htm

Basically, about .5% of people infected with HIV have a gene (HLA B57) that produces high numbers of T-cells that actually kill the HIV virus including any mutating form of it. Once a killer T-cell binds to an HIV virus, it becomes activated and sweeps the body for more HIV. Almost everyone has these T-cells in their body but they exist in low concentrations for those who do not have that HLA B57 gene. This means that research in creating a vaccine designed to activate these T-cells is very promising. I think things might be looking up in the fight against HIV-AIDS.

[Dark Dragon]

They are also making progress in potential treatment for cancer with methods such as laser surgery. It's very possible that there will be an effective cure (althought expensive) for these diseases in the next 10 years.

[Edort4]

Things move slowly but each step is closing on the cure of the worst 21st century diseases.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/health-news/cancer-research-project-identifies-mutated-genes/article2048195/

[Animeniax]

Things move slowly but each step is closing on the cure of the worst 21st century diseases.

There will always be others to keep us on our toes.

But I think it's was actually Magic Johnson who was the first person to be cured of HIV/AIDS. He did it by getting enough blood transfusions to replace all of his own infected blood with other peoples' blood.

[Uchiha Barles]

Naw, what happened with magic is that the medication was successful at keeping the concentrations of the HIV virus in his blood at undetectably low levels. However, the virus still hides in his lymph nodes and its necessary for him to continue the medication lest the blood virus concentration re-surges. This guy takes no HIV medication, yet his blood virus concentration seems to be 0.

[Animeniax]

I heard from a definitive source that he had the blood transfusions to clear his blood. It's a little known fact, not widely known by the public because it's selfish and kind of disturbing.

[Buffalobiian]

I heard from a definitive source that he had the blood transfusions to clear his blood. It's a little known fact, not widely known by the public because it's selfish and kind of disturbing.

If you had the money... why not? It's like paying for crazy expensive medication that no one else can buy.

In the case of blood, you can argue that he's "taking emergency blood supplies", but as long as he took it from a place where they had plenty in stock, it wouldn't matter.

[Sapphire]

How does that work? From what I understand, blood replenishes itself as long as its in your body. Having that much foreign blood added to your body (ALL blood) without the body rejecting it somehow (I guess he took immunosuppresants?) seems insane to me.

[Edort4]

Professional cyclers do it often. They Make huge blood transfusions so they can have more red globules and hemoglobin to transport more oxigen into their muscles. It was told that they even do it with some non human blood in not so high dosis.

[Buffalobiian]

Blood does not replenish itself. It dies sooner or later. Your bone marrow keeps producing it. In his case, it would be just diluting the virus concentration. And I'm pretty sure you don't reject other people's blood when you get the A/B/AB/O match-up right. That's the whole idea of it anyway.

[Uchiha Barles]

I heard from a definitive source that he had the blood transfusions to clear his blood. It's a little known fact, not widely known by the public because it's selfish and kind of disturbing.

My issue is what happens to the HIV in the lymphatic system? Drain your body of blood and replace it with clean blood, ok fine. the virus still exists in your lymph nodes and will make it back to the blood in detectable concentrations unless something is suppressing that. A blood transfusion can't cure an HIV infection. I'm not seeing any source whatsoever, let alone reliable, saying that blood transfusions can possibly cure an HIV infection.

[Sapphire]

Blood does not replenish itself. It dies sooner or later. Your bone marrow keeps producing it.
Bad wording on my part.
-
So the solution to AIDS is diluting the virus out?!?! I thought the virus replication rates were insane, like 1 drop of blood infecting you. Wouldn't the new blood be infected by the virus?

[Buffalobiian]

I have no idea if that works. I'm just assuming what Animeniax says is true, and explaining it that way.

The new blood would be infected by the virus, yes. The dilution amount and frequency would have to be such that it causes an overall drop in viral particles in the overall body (based on Animeniax's account). I haven't got any data to suggest what such a routine would be.

The virus replicates like crazy, yeah. It's mutation is the biggest hurdle so far - it not only replicates fast, but the HIV virus is also missing the "checking" mechanism that verifies the integrity of the copied protein during replication, which is the reason for its high mutation and difficulty in being identified and destroyed by the body.

[Dark Dragon]

The difference is that HIV is completely gone from this man body, while Magic Johnson still have to take daily doses of medication to suppress his condition. All of the transfusion he did certain somehow put the disease at a manageable level, but it's not really a practical way to go about curing everyone. The surgery here is life threatening, but they now knows that it works and that will lead to research for a medicine made from the HLA B57 genes.

[Animeniax]

My issue is what happens to the HIV in the lymphatic system? Drain your body of blood and replace it with clean blood, ok fine. the virus still exists in your lymph nodes and will make it back to the blood in detectable concentrations unless something is suppressing that. A blood transfusion can't cure an HIV infection. I'm not seeing any source whatsoever, let alone reliable, saying that blood transfusions can possibly cure an HIV infection.
What can I say... it's magic!

[KitKat]

Riots in Vancouver after Canucks lose the Stanley Cup. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/riot-police-use-tear-gas-after-violence-erupts-in-vancouver/article2062706/)

I'm so glad I didn't go downtown to watch the game tonight. However, there are some great facebook groups that started up in opposition to the bad name these rioters are giving our city. One urges people to post pics of the rioters (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vancouver-Riot-Pics-Post-Your-Photos/121837081234162?ref=ts) (I think with the aim of helping the police to recognize and charge them, but it seems to also be filling up with photoshops of various memes as well), and another for a post-riot cleanup (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=219286898091948).